HOW OUR LIFE WOULD BE WHEN WE ONLY ASPIRE FOR PLEASURE/ HAPPINESS / SATISFACTION? ALSO, DISCUSS PLEASURE AND PAIN BESIDES WHAT IS PLEASURE IN TRUE SENSE OF TERMS?

HOW OUR LIFE WOULD BE WHEN WE ONLY ASPIRE FOR PLEASURE/ HAPPINESS / SATISFACTION? ALSO, DISCUSS PLEASURE AND PAIN BESIDES WHAT IS PLEASURE IN TRUE SENSE OF TERMS?

PLEASURE AND PAIN

One who always aspires

Nothing but pleasures

Without the involvement of pain

The pleasure that is attained

Is momentary in nature

Indeed a ‘nine days’ wonder’

Meaning this pleasure is a flip-flog existence

Comes and goes without forewarning to the person

Because of foot-prints of dishonesty in his methods

In the collection of resources by illegal means.

Whence we earn our living by adopting lawful means

The pleasure that we attain Is eternal in nature

Because in that pleasure there is the application of body

Mind and soul totally

With the association of our God Almighty

Since this effort of ours, there is connect of sincerity

Thus putting a stamp of permanency

For our pleasure to be lasting till eternity.

In your question, you have mentioned only one part of life ‘for experiencing different forms of pleasure/happiness/satisfaction. In actual life, we have just opposites of all the things you have mentioned viz; pain /unhappiness/ dissatisfaction.

Thoughts on pleasure in Sri Granth Sahib Ji: O my thoughtless and insane mind, why are you indulging in pleasures?

Those who think and aspire for only pleasure –giving agents of change for getting pleasure, resort to unethical and immoral methods for getting their wishes fulfilled.

Those who think and aspire for only pleasure-seeking agents of change for getting pleasure, resort to unethical and immoral methods. By so doing, such people go on plunging themselves into one quagmire of sin and then other till such time they submerged themselves totally. They may get pleasure but this happiness is merely momentary or transitory. It lasts until such time ones true character is found out finally. All of us must have personally experienced the predicament of such ill-intentioned persons whose only objective is to get pleasure through illegal means. Such people go hanker after mirage which is delusive in the true sense of terms. After sometimes, they may realize their folly and may seek forgiveness for their misdeeds.

In the Holy Bible it has been said: So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

There is a case of a person Ratnakara who used to loot people for a living for himself and his family. One day Maharishi Narada happened to pass through the jungle. Ratnakara waylaid him and asked him to hand over everything that he possessed to him. Before giving him anything, the sage asked him a question. Whether his family will partake or share the sin which he was committing for a living. Ratnakara went to his home and asked his wife and parents. They told him that it was his duty to feed them and they do not share his sins which he commits. He learned a lesson. He went to the forest and asked Sage Narada for his identity. After knowing all about Maharishi Narada, Ratnakara requested the Sage to deliver him of the sins he had committed. The sage taught him to chant the name of Rama. Ratnakara sat in a meditative posture and started chanting the name of RAMA till such time there was an anthill around Ratnakar’s body. God was pleased with Ratnakara with his meditation and bestowed him the honor of Brahmarshi Valmiki (Anthill). Thereafter he founded an ashram on the banks of river Ganga. Subsequently, he met Lord Rama and then Sage Narada. Then he composed the great epic Ramayana in Sanskrit in verses form. We should take a lesson from Ratanakara’s leaf that if a person laments for his/her misdeeds in the true sense of terms, the same could be pardoned by our God and our Karmic debit could be transformed into Karmic credit.

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It should always be kept in mind that true and lasting pleasure does not come with worldly possessions, got through unlawful, unethical and immoral means hardly gives us eternal happiness and pleasure. This enjoyment is a ‘nine days’ wonder’ and impermanent at that.

Those who always think of pleasure only and no pain will not be able to enjoy the pleasure they are having. Just think of experience of pain and then its alleviation through self-effort then a period of pleasure – this stage of pleasure after pain is enjoyed the most since it happens after experiencing pain. Too much of everything, even happiness, does not give us eternal joy. Bitter pill gives us relief from recurring pain than the pleasure we get from taking sweets.

HOLY QURAN SAYS: And among the people there is he who sells himself for the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is kind to His worshippers.

Therefore, in our life, we should always have a mix of pleasure and pain. The experiences which we garner during the time we are in pain could be utilized for getting experiences for a better tomorrow. This pain may be body pain or mental pain or a pain inflicted by our nears and dears. Past painful experiences are the guides for us as to how not to follow the path which have given us pain.

It is also a fact that if somebody has given you pain intentionally, just to put you in trouble. I think, this sort of a pain helps us in removing or reducing our KARMIC DEBIT and may add our KARMIC CREDIT.

From the above, it is essential that we feel and experience both, pain and pleasure and enjoy life to the hilt. We cannot have holistic growth and development if we have only pleasure or only pain.

In essence, it is not worldly possessions which make us happy but even things which we think insignificant could give us satiety and immense happiness. We must have experienced in life that little things in life could give us relief from the emergent problems.

There are some things in our life which makes us happy and comfortable. The following are the things which change our pain to pleasure:-

Giving gives more happiness than taking. When we meet somebody else’s need in a trying situation,

Forgiving and forgetting gives great happiness.

Getting some recognition gives joy.

Even a small thing could make difference in our life.

Be compassionate.

Living with simple living.

Having good health.

No comparison with others.

Living on my own means.

Satisfaction in our life.

Live with the intention – live and let live.

Let go attitude.

It getting something, i is good, if not, then also it is good.

Do not aspire to be the perfectionist but keep putting in your efforts.

Thoughts and action to be in sync.

You have not to prove anything to anybody but to yourself.

Give credit for others’ contribution to the job-at-hand.

Stay cool and composed despite hurdles.

It is not the worldly possessions which give happiness but satiety with what we have gives us eternal joy.

Do not be attached to the fruits of actions.

Belief in self and our Creator.

Live a spiritually oriented life.

Feeling pain when others are feeling pain.

Stay away from all the negativities.

Divide smiles.

Have optimum belief in God.

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Author: Harbans

GOD is very compassionate with us in every way, need is to use those blessings which are the results of His bounties and thank Him for everything that He gives us. We should also share these bounties with our fellow-beings. I am the person who loves God and His Creations. I love my Creator and not fear Him. My children are adjusted to life, incommensurate, to their Karma and destiny. I have served as a Sr CGO for about 38 years in a Central Govt. Presently I am serving as an Adm Offer with an Engineering College. I am a spiritual person with liberal ways of thinking. I respect all the religions as I respect mine since I understand that all the religions are the pathways to a SINGLE ENTITY - paths for connecting with Him may be different but the ULTIMATE SOURCE IS ONE. I want to be a student till last day of my life. I am a homeopath also, which I pursue as a social service only. Happy moments, I take as God's Gifts, sad ones I take as His Test for me. I believe that He will surely assist me in this Test of His, come what may. Really. I have more belief in Him than I am on my own. You can comprehend my philosophy in life from my write-ups which I write while interacting with them. I firmly believe that every person has the special characteristic which other fellows cannot have and I respect that person as such.
With the grace of Almighty God, a book entitled INNER THOUGHTS which could be purchased online from http://flipkart.com. This book is based on the topics which have been penned down. That is why it is rightly said if intentions are good, everything goes well with you.
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21 thoughts on “HOW OUR LIFE WOULD BE WHEN WE ONLY ASPIRE FOR PLEASURE/ HAPPINESS / SATISFACTION? ALSO, DISCUSS PLEASURE AND PAIN BESIDES WHAT IS PLEASURE IN TRUE SENSE OF TERMS?”

The pleasure which we get through other means but our sincere hard work will not be lasting. Sincere work brings in its wake brings about happiness and pleasure with it which is lasting and eternal in nature.

Thanks a lot for your kind comments. In fact the ‘tana-bana’ of life has to be seen with the prism of pleasure and pain and my experience tells me that I have gained much from the pain I have experienced in life.

Good morning and Happy Sunday, my dear spiritual friend across the oceans. Thank you for this nice article about the perils of hedonism and materialism, so pervasive in our supposedly “modern” societies. I like the poetic term of a “nine day enjoyment”, so ephemeral the pursuit of pure pleasure is. Psychologists have identified a new mental disturbance called ” hedonic adaptation” in many patients that visit the medical and psychiatric consultations seeking relief for their pain. Human beings might get initial pleasure in obtaining objects or convenient situations but it slowly, steadily wears off over days and weeks as our senses get inevitably used to them. The ‘takers” will eventually tire of all they have so ardently fought to obtain, many times with dishonest means; on the contrary, the “givers” continue to get gratification form their generosity. I liked the story of Ratnakara as it exemplified one sad fact of life: friends and family might benefit from our misdeeds but they will all eventually “wash their hands” in the ultimate moment of truth.
A big hug. Arrivederci!

I am really, as always, overawed by your kind commentary. The sad truth is that we humans, more often than not, do not put in our best to get things, we want that somebody should work for us and we should only be ‘bhogis’ i.e. enjoy the fruits of others hard work.

In your career as a doctor, you must have examined some of the case histories of the patients having stress and strains because of their own failings due to their excessive aspirations and ambitions and when their efforts (which I think they do not put their head and heart) do not fructify they feel that everything has ended and they earn for themselves stress related diseases not only for themselves but also for those who are dependent on them.

This is some deep thinking you are doing, Harbans! Reminds me of what Jesus said, that he who loses his life for His sake will find it. Not necessarily referring to dying physically, but rather being willing to die to selfishness that His love and power could flow through us. This is real life! I like it too that you spoke of the important of forgiveness. May the Holy Spirit reveal to you all your spirit is longing for!

Thank you so very much for your kind words. In real life, we always aspire for wellness just without doing anything tangible because we believe that if we are not able to get something we want we can adopt some other means to get that thing. But that ‘some other means’ tarnishes our image not only in the eyes of others but also we are knowing what ways we have adopted therefore, we lose ourselves from our own ‘self’. And that is too bad.

Your inspirational commentary is of immense significance. Our Lord is all knowing Being and He knows everything – our thoughts and our actions so we have to associate Him for everything we do. If we succeed, we have to thank Him, if not, then it is good too, since He does not want us to have that ‘success’/